Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07K—PEPTIDES
  • C07K14/00—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof
  • C07K14/435—Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof from animals; from humans
  • C07K14/475—Growth factors; Growth regulators
  • C07K14/51—Bone morphogenetic factor; Osteogenins; Osteogenic factor; Bone-inducing factor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K38/00—Medicinal preparations containing peptides

Definitions

• Instant invention refers to peptides having the biological activity of a BMP molecule comprising or consisting of an amino acid sequence having an amino acid identity of at least 50% of SEQ ID No. 1, wherein a first amino acid substitution is at position N59 of SEQ ID No. 1 and a second amino acid substitution is at position N102 of SEQ ID No.
• nucleic acids encoding for the said peptides 1, nucleic acids encoding for the said peptides, vectors comprising the said nucleic acid, transgenic host cells or organisms, a process for the manufacturing of the peptide of the invention, pharmaceutical compositions, research tools or diagnostic tools comprising the molecules, vectors or cells of the invention, the use of the molecules of the invention for the manufacturing of a research tool or diagnostic tool, or for the prevention, treatment or diagnosis of a BMP-related disease or condition.
• BMPs Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
• GDFs Growth & Differentiation Factors
• TGF Transforming Growth Factor
• BMPs are secreted peptides that act as homo- or heterodimers and bind to two major types of membrane-spanning serine/threonine kinase receptors, the type I and type II receptors. Binding of BMPs to preformed heteromeric receptor complexes results in activation of the SMAD and other intracellular pathways.
• BMP signaling is precisely regulated by a large number of antagonists, which act extracellularly, on the membrane level and/or intracellularly.
• a growing number of extracellular antagonists have been identified that bind to BMPs and therefore prevent receptor activation. These include Noggin (NOG), Chordin (CHRD), CHRD-like proteins (CHRDL) and the DAN family including Differential screening-selected gene Aberrant in Neuroblastoma (DAN), Cerberus 1 (CER1), COCO, Protein Related to DAN and CER (PRDC), Gremlin (GREM), Uterine Sensitization-Associated Gene 1 (USAG1), Sclerostin (SOST), Follistatin (FST), FST-like proteins (FSTL), Growth & differentiation factor-Associated Serum Protein 1 (GASP1) and Twisted Gastrulation (TWSG) (2).
• NOG Noggin
• CHRD Chordin
• CHRDL CHRD-like proteins
• DAN DAN family including Differential screening-selected gene Aberrant
• the inhibitors show distinct expression patterns and are thus likely to have different biological roles in vivo.
• antagonists have different affinities for various BMPs and other factors.
• NOG blocks efficiently BMP2, BMP4, BMP7, GDF5, and GDF6, but not BMP6, BMP9 and BMP10.
• FST was originally identified as an antagonist of Activins (ACVs), but it has also been shown to bind BMPs.
• Activins ACVs
• Various BMP antagonists might interact with similar domains in the BMP molecules, given that NOG competes with CER, GREM1 and DAN for binding to BMP2 (3).
• SOST has pleiotrophic effects, by blocking BMP activity as a BMP antagonist on one hand, but also binding to and neutralizing the activity of NOG, which results in the activation of BMP signaling on the other hand (4).
• mice show a massive expansion of all cartilaginous anlagen as well as a number of other neural tube and brain defects.
• the importance of NOG for the development of joints was shown by the identification of mutations in NOG in patients with symphalangism and multiple synostosis (multiple joint fusions) syndrome.
• SOST is mutated in patients with sclerosteosis and van Buchem disease, two conditions characterized by increased bone formation (5).
• BMPs bone inductive properties of BMPs
• the high potency of BMPs to induce bone in vitro and in animal models can only partly be recapitulated in human patients (6).
• the BMP-induced effects are likely modulated by several factors such as biological availability, stability and/or local interacting factors in the tissue that inhibit BMPs. Due to the aforementioned reasons, high dosages of protein are required during the treatment of subjects in need, which may lead to unwanted side effects.
• BMPs Bone Morphogenetic Proteins
• the peptides of the invention do not only exhibit an increased specific biological activity of BMP, which is essentially maintained in the presence of the natural BMP-antagonist, Noggin.
• the peptides of the invention exhibit a reduced susceptibility to inhibition by Noggin, and an increased specific biological activity.
• the peptides of the invention may further exhibit a reduced susceptibility to the inhibition by Chordin, CHRD-like proteins and members of the DAN family, Cerberus 1, COCO, Protein Related to DAN and CER, Gremlin, Uterine Sensitization-Associated Gene 1, Sclerostin, Follistatin, FST-like proteins, Growth & differentiation factor-Associated Serum Protein 1 and Twisted Gastrulation.
• the peptides of the invention exhibit an improved stability and/or receptor activation and/or an increased biological half life time in an organism, when compared with wild-type BMP (BMP(wt)), particularly in animals or humans.
• BMP(wt) wild-type BMP
• the peptides of the invention surprisingly exhibit improved storage stability.
• BMP proteins Due to the surprisingly improved specific biological activity and stability of the peptides of the invention, highly reduced amounts of the pharmaceutically effective dosages of BMP proteins (about 1/3 to 1/10 of the amount of BMP(wt)) may be required in the treatment or prophylaxis of BMP-related disorders or conditions.
• the present invention provides a peptide having the biological activity of a BMP molecule comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having an amino acid identity of at least 50%, preferably at least 60%, more preferred at least 70%, even more preferred at least 80%, particularly preferred at least 90%, more particularly preferred at least 93%, even more particularly preferred at least 95%, especially preferred at least 98%, and most preferred at least 99% of SEQ ID No. 1 (i.e. mature human BMP2), characterized in that said amino acid sequence comprises at least two amino acid substitutions, wherein the first amino acid substitution is at the position corresponding to N59 of SEQ ID No.
• the first amino acid substitution is N59V and the second amino acid substitution is N102W.
• peptide encompasses any molecule which essentially comprises a linear chain of natural and/or artificial amino acids which are linked via peptide bonds.
• peptide encompasses oligopeptides, polypeptides, protein fragments, and proteins, wherein, optionally, one or more of the amino acids of the peptide may further be subject to modification.
• reference to amino acids is made by using the single letter code known to the skilled person.
• peptide may mean an isolated peptide that is substantially separated and/or purified from other molecules, which are present in the natural or artificial source of the peptide, preferably from other peptides, in particular from other polypeptides.
• it can be substantially free from cellular material with which it is naturally associated, or culture medium when produced by recombinant techniques, or chemical precursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized.
• the term "peptide” means a recombinant expressed peptide. Accordingly, the "peptide” according to the invention may have been altered by human intervention, and/or expressed by a modified cell or organism, preferably a recombinant cell or organism.
• the "peptide” has the biological activity of a BMP molecule, wherein the said BMP molecule is selected from the group consisting of BMP2, BMP4, BMP5, BMP6, BMP7, GDF5, and GDF6, preferably of BMP2, even more preferred of animal and/or human origin, and most preferred of human BMP2.
• biological activity of a BMP molecule may encompass one or more of the biological features of the said naturally occurring BMP/GDF molecules and particularly includes the ability to induce bone and/or cartilage formation, except for the natural susceptibility to its respective natural antagonist or inhibitor NOG.
• biological activity of a BMP molecule preferably means the ability to activate SMAD signaling, except for the susceptibility with respect to the respective natural antagonist or inhibitor NOG.
• the peptide having the biological activity of a BMP molecule comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having an amino acid identity of at least 90% compared to human BMP2 of SEQ ID No. 1, preferably the amino acid identity is at least 93%, more preferably at least 95%, even more preferably at least 98%, most preferably at least 99%.
• the peptide having the biological activity of a BMP molecule comprises or consists of an amino acid sequence having an amino acid identity of at least 50%, preferably at least 60%, more preferred at least 70%, even more preferred at least 80%, particularly preferred at least 90%, more particularly preferred at least 93%, even more particularly preferred at least 95%, especially preferred at least 98%, and most preferred at least 99% of SEQ ID No. 7 (i.e. human BMP2 pre-pro-protein), characterized in that said amino acid sequence comprises at least two amino acid substitutions, wherein the first amino acid substitution is at the position corresponding to N341 of SEQ ID No.
• SEQ ID No. 7 i.e. human BMP2 pre-pro-protein
• N341 E, N341 K, N341 T, and N341 V particularly preferred is N341 V
• the second amino acid substitution is at the position corresponding to N384 of SEQ ID No. 7, preferably is selected from N384S, N384V, and N384W, particularly preferred is N384W.
• the first amino acid substitution is N341 V and the second amino acid substitution is N384W.
• the amino acid identity of peptides is calculated over the whole length of the mature protein of SEQ ID No. 1 or the full length pre-pro-protein of SEQ ID No. 7, respectively, by ignoring (excluding) the at least two amino acid substitutions present in the peptide of the invention.
• the full length human BMP2 (hBMP2(wt)) according to accession No. NP 001 191 (SEQ ID No. 7) consists of 396 amino acids.
• N-terminal amino acids 1 to 282 comprising the signal peptide (amino acids 1 to 23) and the pro-domain (amino acids 24 to 282), are cleaved during processing of the full length peptide in order to arrive at the fully processed, active hBMP2 (mature hBMP2) having SEQ ID No. 1.
• active hBMP2 mature hBMP2 having SEQ ID No. 1.
• the amino acid sequence of mature hBMP2 consists of amino acids 283 (Q283) to 396 of the full length pre-pro-protein of hBMP2.
• mature hBMP2 refers to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1, which consists of the amino acid sequence of fully processed, active hBMP2 with a total length of 114 amino acids.
• amino acid 1 of SEQ ID No. 1 refers to amino acid No. 283 of the pre-pro-protein of hBMP2 (SEQ ID No. 7) and amino acid No. 114 refers to amino acid No. 396 of the pre-pro-protein of hBMP2.
• BMP molecules are expressed as pre-pro-proteins comprising the above mentioned pro-domain as inserts, which are subject to subsequent processing of the pro-protein in order to obtain the mature protein. Therefore, the skilled person is not bound to the sequence information of the mature peptide, but would consider the insertion of one or more pro-domains into the peptide of the invention. This is to be considered when performing sequence comparisons with respect to the peptide of the invention.
• identity or homology of amino acid sequences means the identity of the respective sequences over the whole sequence length in each case (the terms “identity” and “homology” are interchangeably used here within).
• sequences are aligned for optimal comparison purposes (e.g., gaps can be introduced in the sequence of a first amino acid or nucleic acid sequence for optimal alignment with a second amino acid or nucleic acid sequence).
• the determination of percent homology between two sequences can be accomplished using a mathematical algorithm.
• identity or homology can be determined, e.g., by comparison with the aid of the ClustalW_Bioedit algorithm (11) using default settings in the software package Bioedit (e.g., available via the world wide web: http://www.mbio.ncsu.edu/BioEdit /bioedit.html).
• the peptide of the invention exhibits one or more of the biological features of BMP, preferably of a BMP selected from the group consisting of BMP2, BMP4, BMP5, BMP6, BMP7, GDF5, and GDF6, more preferred of BMP2, and even more preferred of animal and/or human origin, and most preferred of human BMP2.
• the peptide of the invention is classified as exhibiting an increased specific biological BMP activity (of the aforementioned BMP), if the peptide exhibits at least 110% of BMP(wt) activity, i.e. activity of processed, active BMP(wt); preferably, the peptide of the invention exhibits at least 150% of BMP(wt), more preferably of hBMP2(wt) activity.
• BMP activity can be measured according to any method known to the skilled person. As long as the BMP activity of the peptide of the invention and the control (BMP(wt)) are determined in one and the same test, the exact nature of the BMP activity test is less important. Specific biological activity means the biological activity per amount of protein (g or mol). The skilled person is aware of a number of different test methods, which are suitable to evaluate BMP or BMP2 activity. For example, BMP2 activity may be tested using enzymatic reporters like SMAD-specific induction of a luciferase reporter gene or endogenous induction of alkaline phosphatase expression in ATDC5 or C2C12 cells or by means of the chicken micromass culture system test.
• enzymatic reporters like SMAD-specific induction of a luciferase reporter gene or endogenous induction of alkaline phosphatase expression in ATDC5 or C2C12 cells or by means of the chicken micromass culture system test.
• the chicken micromass culture system is a well known in vitro model for cartilage differentiation (12; 13), wherein primary mesenchymal cells prepared from chicken limb buds differentiate into chondrocytes. Extracellular matrix production is used as a marker for early chondrogenesis and can be quantified using Alcian blue staining after incubation for three to seven days.
• the cells are infected with a replication competent avian sarcoma (RCAS) virus with the gene of interest incorporated.
• RCS replication competent avian sarcoma
• Overexpression of hBMP2 in the chicken micromass culture system is known to induce cell proliferation and chondrogenic matrix production dramatically (14).
• co-expression of NOG and hBMP2(wt) leads to a complete inhibition of the described differentiation effects.
• amino acid substitution refers to the deletion and/or replacement of a specific amino acid of a given position.
• amino acid substitution can be understood to refer solely to replacement of a specific amino acid of a given position.
• each substitution is described at least by the type of amino acid to be substituted, preferably in one letter code, and by giving the exact position of said amino acid based on SEQ ID No. 1.
• a particular substitution can further be specified by naming the amino acid(s) used to replace the amino acid to be substituted. In any case, with a particular substitution only the specified amino acid named before the position number is substituted.
• a substitution may result in deletion of said amino acid from the sequence, in replacement of said amino acid by exactly one other amino acid and/or in replacement of said amino acid by more than one other amino acid, preferably by not more than three other amino acids, more preferably by two other amino acids.
• the peptide of the invention may comprise further amino acid substitutions that are present in addition to the at least two amino acid substitutions as defined above.
• the peptide of the invention may further contain modifications, for instance mutations that alter protein properties.
• Such properties may include biological BMP features, e.g. SMAD activity, receptor activation, receptor clearance and biological half life time, resistance to inhibitors or antagonists, biological stability, storage stability, or immunogenicity, or which enable or prevent posttranslational modifications such as PEGylation or glycosylation.
• Peptides of the invention may be subjected to co- or post- translational modifications, including but not limited to synthetic derivatization of one or more side chains or termini, glycosylation, PEGylation, circular permutation, cyclization, fusion to proteins or protein domains, and addition of peptide tags or labels.
• the peptide of the invention can be prepared according to known methods. Such methods encompass the synthetic de-novo synthesis of such peptides and/or the expression of the peptides of the invention by means of a nucleic acid encoding such a peptide. In a particular preferred way, the peptide of the invention is prepared by expression using a nucleic acid of the invention.
• the present invention also refers to a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a nucleic acid sequence encoding for a peptide of the invention.
• the present invention provides a nucleic acid comprising or consisting of a nucleic acid sequence encoding for the peptide according to the invention.
• the nucleic acid according to instant invention is a DNA, a cDNA, an RNA, a DNA-RNA-hybrid or a functional equivalent thereof as known in the art.
• nucleic acid encompasses DNA, RNA, hybrids, mixtures and/or functional equivalents thereof, particularly cDNA, genomic DNA and/or RNA which may be of biological origin or (completely or partially) synthetic.
• nucleic acid encompasses single stranded polynucleotide sequences and (completely or partially) double stranded polynucleotide sequences.
• nucleic acid of the invention may be produced by any chemical and/or biological means, including genomic preparations, cDNA preparations, in vitro synthesis, PCR, RT-PCR, and/or in vitro or in vivo transcription.
• nucleic acid of the invention may be isolated, which means that it is substantially separated from other molecules, which are present in the natural or artificial source of the nucleic acid, in particular from other nucleic acids, e.g., nucleic acids encoding other polypeptides.
• the "nucleic acid” may be free of the sequences, which may naturally or artificially flank the nucleic acid (i.e. sequences located at the 5' and 3' ends of the nucleic acid) in its naturally occurring replicon or any other environment.
• the "nucleic acid” of the present invention may be cloned and may have been altered by human intervention, or placed in an environment that does not correspond to its natural locus or location, or is introduced into a vector or cell.
• nucleic acid may encompass a cDNA molecule, that can be free from cellular material with which it is naturally associated, or culture medium when produced by recombinant techniques, or chemical precursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized.
• the skilled person is well aware of the degeneracy of the genetic code, allowing for a number of different nucleic acid sequences encoding for the same amino acid sequence and has no difficulties in determining whether a given nucleic acid sequence encodes for an isolated peptide of the invention.
• the skilled person may adapt the codon usage with respect to the selected host organism or cell when manufacturing the peptide of the invention.
• Nucleic acids of the invention can be prepared according to methods known in the art. In a preferred way, nucleic acids of the invention can be prepared by total gene synthesis, or by site-directed mutagenesis of a nucleic acid encoding wild type or modified BMP molecules. Methods may include template-directed ligation, recursive PCR, cassette mutagenesis, site-directed mutagenesis or other techniques that are well known in the art and may be suitable (see for example (16), (17), (18), (19)). The nucleic acid of the present invention may comprise further nucleic acid sequences which may add further functions to the nucleic acid of the invention.
• additional nucleic acid sequences may include nucleic acid sequences that allow for proper expression of a peptide of the invention and may encompass prodomain-sequences, promoter sequences, regulatory sequences, stop signals, replication origins and the like.
• the skilled person is well aware of such functional nucleic acid sequences and of how to arrange them in order to arrive at a nucleic acid molecule with the desired properties.
• the peptides and/or nucleic acids of the present invention may be provided in its isolated form, i.e. purified from their natural environment, preferably in substantially pure and/or homogeneous form and/or free or substantially free of peptides, nucleic acid other than the desired sequence.
• the present invention provides a vector comprising or consisting of the nucleic acid of the invention, preferably comprises one or more regulatory elements, which ensure transcription and/or translation in a prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic host cell, especially in a eukaryotic host cell.
• the present invention provides a transgenic cell and a transgenic organism, each respectively comprising the nucleic acid or the vector of the invention.
• the transgenic cell and transgenic organism of the invention is prokaryotic or eukaryotic, preferably eukaryotic.
• the transgenic cell or transgenic organism of the invention will express one or more peptides of the invention.
• the transgenic organism or cell of the invention is transiently or stably transformed or transfected with one or more nucleic acids of the invention or one or more transgenic expression cassettes comprising a nucleic acid of the invention or one or more vectors encoding for a peptide of the invention or to progeny of such transgenic organisms or cells.
• the present invention relates to cells, cell cultures, tissues and/or parts of transgenic organisms of the invention.
• transgenic organism does not only encompass the organism where the nucleic acid of the invention has been transiently or stably introduced, but also refers to the progeny of such organisms irrespective of the generation order, provided that such progeny comprises the nucleic acid of the invention and/or expresses the peptide of the invention.
• the transgenic organism or cell is of prokaryotic or eukaryotic origin, preferably the transgenic organism is a eukaryotic cell.
• Preferred eukaryotic cells are human cells, animal cells (CHO), such as insect cells (SF6), yeasts (Pichia, Saccharomyces), algae or fungi.
• the preparation of a transformed organism or of a transformed cell requires introducing the appropriate DNA into the appropriate host organism or cell.
• a multiplicity of methods is available for this process which is well known to the person skilled in the art referred to as transformation (20).
• the DNA may be introduced directly by microinjection or by bombardment with DNA-coated microparticles or nanoparticles.
• the cell may also be permeabilized chemically, for example using polyethylene glycol, so that the DNA can enter the cell via diffusion.
• the DNA may also be performed via protoplast fusion with other DNA-containing units such as mini-cells, cells, lysosomes or liposomes.
• Another suitable method for introducing DNA is electroporation in which the cells are reversibly permeabilized by an electric impulse.
• the present invention provides a process for the manufacturing of the peptide of the invention by use of the nucleic acid of the invention, the vector of the invention, and/or the transgenic cell or organism of the invention comprising the steps of a) optionally, stably or transiently transforming a cell with a nucleic acid of the invention; b) optionally, cultivating the cell obtainable according to step a) under suitable conditions; c) expressing the peptide encoded by the said nucleic acid; d) purifying the peptide from the cultivated cells or the culture medium after having expressed the said peptide.
• the process for the manufacturing of the peptide of the invention can be performed by using the nucleic acid of the invention in a system for cell free protein synthesis.
• the process for the manufacturing of the peptide of the invention can be performed by peptide synthesis.
• the present invention provides in an alternative embodiment a process for the manufacturing of the peptide of the invention, optionally by use of the nucleic acid of the invention or the vector of the invention in a cell-free peptide synthesis system comprising the steps of a) synthesizing the said peptide encoded by the said nucleic acid under suitable conditions and b) purifying the peptide from the synthesis medium after having synthesized the said peptide.
• a peptide according to the invention is provided, which is obtainable by the said manufacturing process using a peptide synthesizer or a cell-free peptide synthesis system, or the said manufacturing process using the nucleic acid, the vector, and/or the transgenic cell or organism of the invention, optionally comprising one or more of steps a) to d): a) stably or transiently transforming a cell with the said nucleic acid; b) cultivating the cell obtainable according to step a) under suitable conditions; c) expressing the said peptide encoded by the said nucleic acid or synthesizing the said peptide encoded by the said nucleic acid under suitable conditions; and d) purifying the said peptide from the cultivated cells or the culture medium after having expressed the said peptide or purifying the said peptide from the synthesis medium after having synthesized the said peptide.
• the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition
• a pharmaceutical composition comprising or consisting of the peptide of the invention, the peptide obtainable from the manufacturing process of the invention, the nucleic acid of the invention, the vector of the invention or the transgenic cell of the invention and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient.
• the pharmaceutical composition of the invention is of the sustained-release type, most preferred comprising the peptide of the invention or the peptide obtainable from the manufacturing process of the invention.
• the present invention provides the use of the peptide of the invention and/or the nucleic acid of the invention, which may optionally be labeled, for a) the manufacturing of a monoclonal or polyclonal antibody; b) the screening of nucleic acid libraries; c) the hybridization of a probe; d) the manufacturing of a research tool and/or e) the manufacturing of a diagnostic tool.
• the present invention provides a diagnostic tool or a research tool comprising or consisting of the peptide of the invention, the peptide obtainable from the process of the invention, the nucleic acid of the invention, the vector of the invention, or the transgenic cell of the invention.
• the present invention is further directed to the use of the peptide of the invention, the nucleic acid of the invention and/or the transgenic cell or organism of the invention as a medicament.
• the present invention is also directed to the use of the peptide, the nucleic acid, the transgenic cell or organism, the pharmaceutical composition, and/or the diagnostic tool of the invention in or for the prevention, treatment or diagnosis of a BMP-related disorder, disease or condition, wherein such disorder, disease or condition includes: any kind of wound repair, formation of bone, formation of cartilage, formation of non-mineralized skeletal or connective tissue; metabolic disease, for example treatment of loss and/or increase of bone mass in metabolic bone diseases ( US 5,674,844 ); replacement or repair of bone and/or cartilage at injury sites such as breaks, fractures and/or tears ( US 5,733,878 ), e.g.
• tissue of the sensory system such as eye (retina, cornea, optic or olfactory nerve); chronic renal disease or failure ( US 6,861,404 ); enhancement of functional recovery of neuronal tissue including central nervous system ischemia or trauma ( US 6,407,060 ), including neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease ( US 6,506,729 ), Alzheimer's disease, Huntington chorea disease, multiple sclerosis; dendritic growth ( US 6,949,505 ); neural cell adhesion ( US 6,800,603 ); fibrosis; ulcers, pulmonary artery hypertension, induction of angiogenesis; cancer such as colon or skin
• treating encompasses to reversing, alleviating or inhibiting the progress of a disease, disorder or condition, or one or more symptoms of such disease, disorder or condition, to which such term applies.
• “treating” may also refer to decreasing the probability or incidence of the occurrence of a disease, disorder or condition in a mammal as compared to an untreated control population, or as compared to the same mammal prior to treatment.
• “treating” may refer to preventing a disease, disorder or condition, and may include delaying or preventing the onset of a disease, disorder or condition, or delaying or preventing the symptoms associated with a disease, disorder or condition.
• treating may also refer to reducing the severity of a disease, disorder or condition or symptoms associated with such disease, disorder or condition prior to a mammal's affliction with the disease, disorder or condition. Such prevention or reduction of the severity of a disease, disorder or condition prior to affliction relates to the administration of the composition of the present invention, as described herein, to a subject that is not at the time of administration afflicted with the disease, disorder or condition.
• the term “treating” may also refer to preventing the recurrence of a disease, disorder or condition or of one or more symptoms associated with such disease, disorder or condition.
• treatment and “therapeutically,” as used herein, refer to the act of treating, as “treating” is defined above.
• the peptide, nucleic acid, and/or transgenic cell of the invention may be used in the manufacturing of a medicament, preferably in the manufacturing of a medicament for the prevention or treatment of a BMP-related disease or condition, wherein such disease or condition comprises wound repair, formation of bone, formation of cartilage, formation of non-mineralized skeletal or connective tissue, metabolic disease, replacement or repair of bone and/or cartilage at injury sites such as breaks, fractures and/or tears, periodontal or dental tissue regeneration, regeneration of tissue from liver, pancreas, cardiac, renal, uterine, thyroid, mucous membranes, endothelium, epithelium, sensory system, progenitor cells, bone marrow cells; chronic renal failure; enhancement of functional recovery of neuronal tissue, dendritic growth, neural cell adhesion; fibrosis; ulcer, pulmonary artery hypertension, induction of angiogenesis; cancer; and in organ or tissue transplantation.
• a BMP-related disease or condition comprises wound repair, formation of bone, formation of
• the peptide or nucleic acid of the invention and/or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts will generally be administered as a formulation in association with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.
• excipient is used herein to describe any ingredient in the pharmaceutical composition other than the peptide or nucleic acid of the invention. The choice of excipient will to a large extent depend on the particular mode of administration.
• compositions suitable for oral administration include: solid formulations such as tablets; capsules containing particulates, liquids, or powders; lozenges (including liquid-filled); and chews; multi- and nanoparticulates; gels; solid solutions; liposomes; films, ovules, sprays and liquid formulations.
• Liquid formulations include suspensions, solutions, syrups and elixirs.
• Such formulations may be employed as fillers in soft or hard capsules and typically comprise a carrier, for example, water, ethanol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methylcellulose, or a suitable oil, and one or more emulsifying agents and/or suspending agents.
• a carrier for example, water, ethanol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, methylcellulose, or a suitable oil, and one or more emulsifying agents and/or suspending agents.
• Liquid formulations may also be prepared by the reconstitution of a solid, for example, from a sachet.
• the compounds of the invention may also be used in fast-dissolving, fast-disintegrating dosage forms such as those described in the state of the art.
• the final formulation may comprise one or more layers and may be coated or uncoated; it may even be encapsulated.
• the formulation of tablets is standard in the art.
• Consumable oral films for human use are typically pliable water-soluble or water-swellable thin film dosage forms which may be rapidly dissolving or mucoadhesive and typically comprise isolated peptide or nucleic acid, a film-forming polymer, a binder, a solvent, a humectant, a plasticizer, a stabilizer or emulsifier, a viscosity modifying agent and a solvent.
• the peptide or nucleic acid of the invention may be water-soluble or insoluble.
• a water-soluble compound typically comprises from 1 weight % to 80 weight %, more typically from 20 weight % to 50 weight %, of the solutes. Less soluble compounds may comprise a greater proportion of the composition, typically up to 88 weight % of the solutes.
• the peptide or nucleic acid of the invention may be in the form of multiparticulate beads.
• the film-forming polymer may be selected from natural polysaccharides, proteins, or synthetic hydrocolloids and is typically present in the range 0.01 to 99,9% (w/w).
• ingredients include anti-oxidants, colorants, flavourings and flavour enhancers, preservatives, salivary stimulating agents, cooling agents, co-solvents (including oils), emollients, bulking agents, anti-foaming agents, surfactants and taste-masking agents.
• Films in accordance with the invention are typically prepared by evaporative drying of thin aqueous films coated onto a peelable backing support or paper. This may be done in a drying oven or tunnel, typically a combined coater dryer, or by freeze-drying or vacuuming.
• Solid formulations for oral administration may be formulated to be immediate and/or modified release.
• Modified release formulations include delayed-, sustained-, pulsed-, controlled-, targeted and programmed release.
• Suitable modified release formulations for the purposes of the invention are, e.g., described in US 6,106,864 . Details of other suitable release technologies such as high energy dispersions and osmotic and coated particles are to be found in the art.
• the molecules of the invention may also be administered directly into the blood stream, into muscle, into the skeleton or into an internal organ, and, optionally, by means of gene therapy, i.e. administration of a mesenchymal stem cell, which has been transformed by the nucleic acid of the invention.
• Suitable means for parenteral administration include intravenous, intraarterial, intraperitoneal, intrathecal, intraventricular, intraurethral, intrasternal, intracranial, intramuscular, at the fracture site and subcutaneous.
• Suitable devices for parenteral administration include needle (including microneedle) injectors, needle-free injectors and infusion techniques.
• Parenteral formulations are typically aqueous solutions which may contain excipients such as salts, carbohydrates and buffering agents (e.g.
• parenteral formulations under sterile conditions, for example, by lyophilisation, may readily be accomplished using standard pharmaceutical techniques well known to those skilled in the art.
• solubility of the peptide or nucleic acid of the invention used in the preparation of parenteral solutions may be increased by the use of appropriate formulation techniques, such as the incorporation of solubility-enhancing agents.
• Formulations for parenteral administration may be formulated to be immediate and/or modified release.
• Modified release formulations include delayed-, sustained-, pulsed-, controlled-, targeted and programmed release.
• a peptide or nucleic acid of the invention may be formulated as a solid, semi-solid, or thixotropic liquid for administration as an implanted depot or carrier providing modified release of the active compound.
• examples of such formulations include drug-coated stents and PGLApoly(dl-lactic-coglycolic)acid (PGLA) microspheres.
• the compounds of the invention may be administered topically to or under the skin or mucosa, that is, dermally, transdermally, or subcutaneous.
• Typical formulations for this purpose include gels, hydrogels, lotions, solutions, creams, ointments, dusting powders, dressings, foams, films, skin patches, wafers, implants, sponges, fibres, bandages and microemulsions. Liposomes may also be used.
• carriers may include alcohol, water, mineral oil, liquid petrolatum, white petrolatum, glycerine, polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol. Penetration enhancers may be incorporated.
• carriers include solid matrices made from soluble macromolecur entities embedding the compounds of the invention.
• the compounds of the invention may be combined with soluble macromolecular entities, such as cyclodextrin, collagen, heparin, or polyethylene glycol and suitable derivatives thereof and/or combinations thereof, in order to improve their solubility, dissolution rate, taste masking, bioavailability and/or stability for use in any of the aforementioned modes of administration.
• soluble macromolecular entities such as cyclodextrin, collagen, heparin, or polyethylene glycol and suitable derivatives thereof and/or combinations thereof
• Drug-cyclodextrin complexes are found to be generally useful for most dosage forms and administration routes, both inclusion and non-inclusion complexes may be used.
• the cyclodextrin may be used as an auxiliary additive, i.e. as a carrier, diluent, or solubiliser. Most commonly used for these purposes are alpha-, beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins, examples of which may be found in Patent Applications WO91/11172 , WO94/02518 and WO98/55148 .
• the total daily dose of the compounds of the invention is typically in the range of 0.001 mg to 5000 mg depending, of course, on the mode of administration.
• an intravenous or locally applied dose may only require from 0.001 mg to 40 mg, the total daily dose may be administered in single or divided doses and may, at the physician's discretion, fall outside of the typical range given herein.
• These dosages are based on an average human subject having a weight of about 70 kg. The physician will readily be able to determine doses for subjects whose weight falls outside this range, such as infants and the elderly.
• the present invention provides a method of treatment of BMP-related diseases or conditions, wherein such diseases or conditions comprise wound repair, formation of bone, formation of cartilage, formation of non-mineralized skeletal or connective tissue, metabolic disease, replacement or repair of bone and/or cartilage at injury sites such as breaks, fractures and/or tears, periodontal or dental tissue regeneration, regeneration of tissue from liver, pancreas, cardiac, renal, uterine, thyroid, mucous membranes, endothelium, epithelium, sensory system, progenitor cells, bone marrow cells; chronic renal failure; enhancement of functional recovery of neuronal tissue, dendritic growth, neural cell adhesion; fibrosis; ulcer, pulmonary artery hypertension, induction of angiogenesis; cancer; and in organ or tissue transplantation, whereby a subject in need of such treatment is administered an effective dose of a peptide, a nucleic acid and/or a transgenic cell of the invention, optionally together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipient
• a sustained release formulation of the compounds of the invention will alleviate the problem of a very high drug load which is present in sustained release formulations of BMP molecules having the specific biological activity of the wild-type peptide.
• Sustained release formulations are formulations designed to release a pharmaceutically active compound at the desired rate (i.e. controlled release), e.g., to provide an increased residence time, to maintain the desired level of blood plasma or local concentration of the drug. It is known that controlled release of a drug may be obtained, e. g. by implantable matrix devices, implantable pumps, gels or hydrogels, liposomes, micelles, crystals, microspheres, and reservoir devices.
• Such implantable matrix devices may include suitable materials containing calcium phosphates such as beta-tricalcium phosphate (Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ), alpha-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyl apatite or Ca(OH) 2 , coral, natural bone mineral, chitin, non-demineralized bone particles, ceramic bone particles, ceramic dentin, bone chips, bioactive glass, and/or apatite-wollastonite-containing glass ceramic.
• suitable materials containing calcium phosphates such as beta-tricalcium phosphate (Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ), alpha-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyl apatite or Ca(OH) 2 , coral, natural bone mineral, chitin, non-demineralized bone particles, ceramic bone particles, ceramic dentin, bone chips, bioactive glass, and/or apatite-wollastonite-containing glass ceramic.
• Microspheres are small polymeric particles (e.g., nm to pm in size) wherein a drug is encapsulated, which can be injected, e.g. subcutaneously or intramuscularly.
• the drug can be released by diffusion, degradation, and water-uptake followed by subsequent diffusion, whereby one or more different polymer materials may be used in a given release system.
• suitable polymers for the manufacturing of microspheres may include poly D, L-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA), polycarboxyphenoxypropane-co-sebaic acid (pCPP: SA), poly- (fatty acid dimmer-co-sebais acid), poly (trimellitylimidol-1-tyrosine-co-sebaic acid-co-1,3-bis (carboxyphenoxy) propane), polyorthoesters, polyanhydrides, polyamides, polyalkyl-cyanoacrylates and polyphosphazenes, polymethacrylic acid, and block- and/or co-polymers of PLG and PEG.
• the drug release rate and profile depend on properties and kind of the microsphere, the type of the polymer and the interaction between the microsphere and the drug.
• Hydrophilic polymers such as e.g. PGLA
• PGLA poly(ethylene glycol)
• More hydrophobic polymers such as e.g. pCPP:SA erode from their surface, initially providing a more constant release rate.
• rate of the polymer hydrolysis may be the most important factor determining the drug release rate. More labile polymers will give rise to faster release rates.
• microspheres in particular the surface area-to-volume ratio will have an effect on the rate of the drug release.
• Interfacial polymerisation employs a mixture of monomer(s) and an initiator, where the monomer(s) are polymerised in such a way that the growing polymer forms particles.
• Three common methods are used, namely suspension, emulsion and dispersion polymerisation. Also extrusion methods are known, to generate microspheres.
• hydrogels are used to provide sustained release formulations.
• Hydrogels are three-dimensional polymer networks, composed of hydrophilic polymers that swell, but do not dissolve in water. The hydrogel network attains physical integrity and is made insoluble due to the presence of chemical and/or physical crosslinks. Hydrogels that are capable of responding to the surrounding environment are termed physiologically responsive hydrogels. Some of the stimuli these hydrogels can respond to are changes in temperature, ionic strength and pH. Some of the most common monomers used to form hydrogels with chemical crosslinks are 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, N-isopropyl acrylamide, acrylic acid and methacrylic acid.
• hydrogels or carriers examples include alginic acid, carrageenan, chitosan, polylysine, fibrin, collagen, and gelatine.
• hydrogels Most of the above mentioned factors influencing the drug release rate and profile of microspheres do also apply for hydrogels. Various methods to produce hydrogels are known in the art.
• Another approach to drug delivery is the use of a polymer matrix in situ from an injected aqueous polymer solution and to use the formed hydrogel as a depot for sustained release of the incorporated therapeutic drug, thus avoiding an invasive surgical (re)placement.
• any drug that is dissolved in the liquid precursor solution is then homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix and subsequently released over an extended period of time.
• An example of in situ forming hydrogel polymer is poly(ethylene glycol)poly(DL-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) block copolymer.
• General reference on sustained release formulations is made to Handbook of Pharmaceutical Controlled Release (Wise, D. L., ed. Marcel Dekker, New York, 2000 ); Drug and the Pharmaceutical Sciences vol. 99: Protein Composition and Delivery (MacNally, E. J., ed. Marcel Dekker, New York, 2000 ); and Varde et al. in Expert Opin. Biol. Ther., 4,35-51, 2004 , which are all incorporated herein by reference.
• the term "residence time” is used in its normal meaning, i. e., the time in which a compound is still present in the body or target organ.
• the residence time is conveniently determined from the time in which the said compound still exerts a pharmaceutical activity.
• the following experiment is carried out.
• the two compounds in a suitable buffer is injected into a suitable animal, such as e. g. mice, rats or into humans. Blood samples are collected over time and analyzed for the compound levels as described.
• a sustained release formulation of a modified BMP protein so as to give rise to a reduced clearance will alleviate problems associated with the similar formulation of the corresponding unmodified protein.
• BMP variant modified BMP protein
• the high clearance of the unmodified protein dictates a high drug load in the formulation and/or the subject to be treated.
• the high drug load requires that highly concentrated formulations are made, which is not always possible. In the situations where it is not possible to make formulations with sufficiently high drug loads, larger volumes have to be injected or the injections have to take place more frequently. A therapeutic regime involving the administration of compositions of the present invention will therefore lead to higher convenience to the patient and increased compliance.
• the high drug load will give rise to burst effects, i.e. a large release of drug immediately after the injection or implantation. It is known that certain adverse effects are related to such bursts, which should be reduced.
• Pharmaceutical compositions and formulations according to the present invention have a much lower drug load and will therefore give rise to reduced burst affects. An even greater reduction of the bursts and thus of adverse effects can be achieved if the active compound interacts with the formulation matrix. Examples of such interactions include non-covalent interactions, such as ionic, van der Waals, hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interactions. Such interactions can easily be estimated by simple partition measurements.
• the invention relates to a sustained release formulation comprising the peptide of the invention that has been modified so as to provide interaction of the said peptide with the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
• said interaction is positive, i.e. there is a (preferably non-covalent) binding between the said peptide and the said carrier.
• the peptide of the invention is conjugated to PEG, and the sustained release formulation comprises a hydrophobic polymer, such as PEG, PGLA, polymethacrylic acid or co-polymers of the monomers constituting the aforementioned polymers, e.g., tri-block co-polymers such as PLGA-PEG-PLGA.
• a hydrophobic polymer such as PEG, PGLA, polymethacrylic acid or co-polymers of the monomers constituting the aforementioned polymers, e.g., tri-block co-polymers such as PLGA-PEG-PLGA.
• the peptide, nucleic acid and/or a pharmaceutical composition of the invention is administered preferably at an effective dose.
• An "effective dose” is the dose of an active ingredient that upon administration to a patient yields a measurable therapeutical effect with regard to the disease of interest.
• an effective dose is the dose of the isolated peptide or nucleic acid that upon administration to a patient yields a therapeutic effect with regard to one or more of the diseases or conditions specified above in patients suffering there from.
• the peptide or nucleic acid of the invention is administered at a dose of not more than 5 mg/kg body weight per treatment or administration.
• the peptide or nucleic acid of the invention can be administered at a dose of 1 ng/kg to 1 g/kg body weight per treatment or administration, preferably of 0,01 ⁇ g/kg to 5000 ⁇ g/kg body weight per treatment or administration.
• the peptide or nucleic acid is administered at a maximum cumulative daily dose of not more than 10 mg/kg body weight.
• SEQ ID No. 7 which comprises SEQ ID No. 1.
• the coding sequence (cds) of wildtype human BMP2 (SEQ ID No. 6; hBMP2(wt), clone HsCD00080188) is available from DNASU (DNASU, PSI:Biology-MR, Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-6401, USA) and can be amplified by PCR and cloned into the shuttle vector pSLAX13 (Plasmid 13918: pSLAX13 (CT#232)) available from Addgene (Addgene Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA) using a 5'-compatible Ncol-overhang and 3' a BamHI site (24).
• DNASU DNASU, PSI:Biology-MR, Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-6401, USA
• pSLAX13 Plasmid 13918: pSLAX13 (CT#232)
• Addgene Addgen
• BMP2 variants were produced by subsequent in vitro mutagenesis of the cds of hBMP2(wt) cloned into pSLAX13 vector using the following mutagenesis primer pairs and the QuikChange® Site-Directed Mutagenesis Kit (Agilent Biotechnologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA):
• hBMP2(wt) and BMP2 variants were cloned via Clal into the avian specific retroviral vector RCASBP(A) available from the Retroviral Replication Laboratory, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA as previously described (24).
• the resulting vectors containing the BMP variants can be transformed into chemically competent E. coli Top10 cells and positive clones can be selected via sequencing.
• the cds of human NOG in pLX304 (Gateway V5-tagged lentiviral expression vector)) is available from DNASU (loc. cit.) and can be amplified by PCR and cloned into the shuttle vector pSLAX13 using a Ncol-compatible 5' overhang and a 3'BamHI overhang and subcloned via Clal into the RCASBP(B) available from the Retroviral Replication Laboratory, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, NCI-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA to allow co-infection of BMP2 and NOG in the same cells (24).
• chicken fibroblast cell line UMNSAH/DF-1 available from ATCC can be grown at 37°C to 70% confluence and transfected in a 60mm-cell culture dish with 3 ⁇ g RCAS construct and a transfection reagent (Lipofectamine 2000 from Invitrogen) according to manufacturers' instructions.
• Cells were passaged several times using growth media (DMEM 1 g/I Glucose, w/o L-Gln; 10% FCS; 2% chicken serum; 2 mM L-Gln, Pen/Strep) until 6 cell culture plates of 15 cm diameter showed 100% confluence.
• growth media DMEM 1 g/I Glucose, w/o L-Gln; 10% FCS; 2% chicken serum; 2 mM L-Gln, Pen/Strep
• the media was changed to starvation media (DMEM 1 g/I Glucose, w/o L-Gln; 1% FCS; 0.2% chicken serum; 2 mM L-Gln, Pen/Strep) leading to an accumulation of viral particles in the media.
• starvation media DMEM 1 g/I Glucose, w/o L-Gln; 1% FCS; 0.2% chicken serum; 2 mM L-Gln, Pen/Strep
• the frozen supernatants were thawed at 37°C and filtered on ice through a 0.45 ⁇ m Durapore filter (Millipore). Subsequently, the virus particles were pelleted via ultracentrifugation at 22000 rpm (Rotor SW-32, Beckman) for 3 h at 4°C. The supernatant was removed and the pellet resuspended in the remaining media on ice for 1 h by shaking. Finally, the virus was frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80°C.
• the virus titer can be determined by seeding UMNSAH/DF-1 cells in a 24 well culture dish plate at a density of 7.6 x 10 4 cells/well and growing to a confluence of 70-80%.
• the concentrated viral supernatant was diluted from 1 x 10 -3 to 1 x 10 -6 and the UMNSAH/DF-1 cells were infected with 1 ⁇ l/well and 10 ⁇ l/well of the dilution, respectively.
• Viruses were used to co-infect chicken micromass culture system cultures with hBMP(wt) or hBMP variants with or without NOG.
• Fertilized chicken eggs SPF
• Fertilized chicken eggs SPF
• Limb buds of Hamburger/Hamilton stage 24 were isolated and ectoderm was removed by incubation with dispase (3 mg/ml) in HBSS.
• Cells were isolated from the limb buds by digestion with 0.1% collagenase type la and 0.1 % trypsin followed by filtration of the cell suspension through a 40 ⁇ m filter (Becton Dickinson, Falcon TM ).
• Micromass cultures were plated at a density of 2x10 5 cells per 10 ⁇ l drop in the centre of a 24-well tissue culture plate. Infection directly prior to plating was performed by adding concentrated replication-competent avian sarcoma (RCAS) viral supernatants: RCASBP(A) containing the cds of hBMP2(wt) or hBMP2 variants and RCASBP(B) containing the cds of wild-type NOG. The cells were allowed to attach for 2 hours in a humidified atmosphere of 5% (v/v) CO 2 at 37°C and then complemented with media (DMEM-F12, 10% FBS, 0.2% chicken serum, 4 mM L-Gln, Pen/Strep).
• RCASBP(A) concentrated replication-competent avian sarcoma
• RCASBP(B) containing the cds of wild-type NOG.
• the cells were allowed to attach for 2 hours in a humidified atmosphere of 5% (
• hBMP2 ELISA kit Antigenix America, Huntington Station, NY 11746, USA was used for determining BMP2 concentrations in culture supernatants. Nunc Maxisorb TM plates were coated overnight at room temperature with a BMP2 capture antibody. All wells were then washed and blocked with coating stabilizer. hBMP2(wt) was serially diluted and incubated on the plate together with the samples to be tested. Following washing of the plate, biotin labeled tracer antibody was added. After application of streptavidin-HRP conjugate and subsequent incubation with TMB substrate, enzyme activity was stopped with sulfuric acid and monitored at A450nm.
• HBMP2(wt), hBMP2 variant, NOG and the coding sequences of seven murine TGF ⁇ superfamily type I receptors (Acvrl1, Acvr1, Bmpr1 a, Actr1 b, T ⁇ r1, Bmpr1 b, Acvr1 c) and three type II receptors (Acrv2a, Acvr2b,Bmpr2) can be cloned via Clal into the expression vector pCS2+ for transient transfection of mouse cell lines.
• COS-1 cells available from ATCC (ATCC® number: CRL-1650TM) or NIH/3T3 cells available from ATCC (ATCC® number: CRL-1658TM) were cultured in DMEM glucose 4,5 g/L (Biochrom AG, Berlin, Germany) with 10% FCS and 2mM Gln. 24 h after seeding the cells at a density of 1x10 4 cells/96-well, the cells were transfected with the indicated constructs. Additionally, co-transfection was performed with a SMAD Binding Element luciferase construct (27) and normalization vector pRL-Tk (Promega Corporation, Madison, WI, USA) using Lipofectamin TM 2000 (Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, CA, USA). 42 h later cells were washed once with PBS and lysed in 30 ⁇ l potassium phosphate buffer. Luciferase activity was determined as described (30).
• hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) The effect of hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) was evaluated in an in vivo system.
• Avian specific retroviruses containing the genetic information for hBMP2(wt) and hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) were injected into the right limb field of developing chicken embryos to study the effect of the proteins on limb formation in comparison to the left control extremity. Evaluation of the obtained phenotypes necessitated a distinction between mild, intermediate and strong enhancement of chondrogenesis.
• a wt-like appearance of the limb was classified as "no enhancement of chondrogenesis", while a paddle-like fusion of all skeletal elements was ranked as "strong".
• the overall pattern of phenotypes between wild-type and variant was comparable at virus concentrations of 2x10 7 PFU/ml, indicating a saturation of the system.
• the amount of chicken embryos with severe phenotypes was slightly increased when injecting hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) in comparison to hBMP2(wt).
• hBMP2(wt) was barely able to enhance chondrogenesis in the developing limb, while the induction of chondrogenesis remained unaltered when injecting the variant.
• hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) Both mutations in hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) are located in receptor binding epitopes. N341 is part of the type I receptor binding pocket, while N384 is predicted to interact with the type II receptors. Therefore, we further characterized hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) in comparison to hBMP2(wt) for possible changes receptor specificity using a SMAD-specific luciferase assay in COS-1 cells.
• both hBMP2(wt) and hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) showed comparable activation of the SBE reporter when transfected in a dilution of 1:500 alone or with the four BMP type I receptors and three TGF ⁇ -specific receptors respectively in 10-fold excess. Both BMPs showed a strongly increased signaling when Bmpr1 a or Bmpr1 b were co-transfected. These results indicate that no significant shift in BMP receptor specificity is associated with the mutations N341 V and N384W in hBMP2. Tab.
• hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) As the amino acid exchange N341 V is situated in the NOG interface of hBMP2, we further characterized hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) in comparison to hBMP2(wt) for NOG-insensitivity using a SMAD-specific luciferase assay in NIH3T3 cells. In this assay, hBMP2(wt) and hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) showed comparable activation of the SBE reporter when transfected alone.
• hBMP2(wt) could only induce SBE activation when NOG was not co-transfected and was blocked to control levels in presence of NOG already at very low NOG-encoding DNA concentrations.
• the hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) was blocked to control levels only at a 500-fold surplus of transfected NOG-DNA Tab.
• the chicken micromass culture system was used to analyse the biological activity of hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) to induce cartilage production in a well defined in vitro system. By incorporation of Alcian blue into the extracellular matrix the production of proteoglycan-rich cartilaginous matrix was determined. The chondrogenic differentiation of the mesenchymal precursor cells in the chicken micromass culture system was visualised and quantified. Hence the potential of hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) to induce chondrogenesis could be efficiently tested. Micromass cultures were retrovirally infected with a virus to express the wild-type protein or its variant hBMP2(N341 V-N384W).
• hBMP2(wt) was completely blocked when NOG was co-expressed.
• the variant hBMP2(N341 V-N384W) was able to induce chondrogenesis even with a higher efficacy in the absence of NOG.
• the chondrogenic potential was more than 100% of the wild-type activity in the absence of its antagonist.
• Tab. 5 Chondrogenic activity in relation to the amount of BMP2 protein in the absence of NOG Titer 1*10 7 chondrog. activity [OD595 nm] (standard deviation) BMP2 in supernatant [ng] (standard deviation) chondrog.
• results show that the combination of the two identified point mutations according to the invention increased NOG resistance of BMP molecules significantly, thereby leading to an improved chondrogenic effect, even more in the presence of its main natural antagonist, NOG.
• the performed assays confirmed a profound NOG insensitivity and an improved specific biological activity of the BMP variant while the receptor activation profile of the BMP variant was not affected with respect to its main receptors, Bmpr1 a and Bmpr1 b.

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